All businesses are about communication; explaining products, negotiating prices, answering questions, and building trust with customers but it seems effortless for those with all their senses intact, but have you ever imagined what it takes to run a business in complete silence?
In the bustling heart of Kericho town, just outside Shivling Supermarket, a splash of color catches the eye, golden bananas, ripened mangoes, and the deep purples of freshly picked plums, and behind the vibrant display stands 38-year-old Emily Nyamongo, her bright smile as welcoming as the fruit she neatly arranged every day.
Nyamongo, a single mother of one, deaf and mute, has put all her hopes in the fruits business; operates her business in near-complete silence, yet with the energy and precision of a seasoned trader, and for two and a half years, she has been carving a living here, relying on gestures, expressions, and a deep well of patience to communicate with her customers.
To speak with Emily, KNA enlisted the help of sign language interpreter Hellenstancia Manyara, and through her; Nyamongo shared the journey that led her to become a respected grocer in Kericho.
